SalvationGod's Marvelous Work of Grace

by

Lewis Sperry Chafer

ContentsChapter 1 – The Word SalvationChapter 2 – God’s Estimate of the LostChapter 3 – The Threefold Message of the CrossChapter 4 – The Present Values of the Cross to the UnsavedChapter 5 – The One Condition of SalvationChapter 6 – The Riches of Grace in Christ JesusChapter 7 – Two Cardinal FactsChapter 8 – AssuranceChapter 9 – Rewards, or the Place of Christian WorksChapter 10 – The Eternal Security of the BelieverChapter 11 – The Eternal Security of the BelieverChapter 12 – An Appeal

PrefaceThis book is presented as a simple Gospel message and is in no way intended to be a contribution to

theological discussion. It is evangelistic in purpose. The writer has hoped that this statement of God'ssaving grace may be adapted to the spiritual understanding of the unsaved that they may grasp the wayof salvation from these pages and so be led to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

It is hoped, as well, that many who have believed may find some new consolation and up-building inChrist even through this brief unfolding of the saving grace of God.

That this book may be used of God to the eternal glory of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is the prayerof the author.

Lewis Sperry ChaferOctober 1, 1917

Chapter 1 – The Word Salvation

The word salvation is used in the Bible to indicate a work of God in behalf of man. In the presentdispensation its use is limited to His work for individuals only, and is vouchsafed to them upon onedefinite condition. Too much emphasis cannot be placed on the fact that now, according to the Bible,salvation is the result of the work of God for the individual, rather than the work of the individual forGod, or even the work of the individual for himself. Eventually the one who is saved by the power ofGod may, after that divine work is accomplished, do "good works" for God; for salvation is said to be"unto good works" (Eph. 2:10) and those who "believed" are to be "careful to maintain good works"(Titus 3:8). Good works are evidently made possible by salvation; but these good works, which followsalvation, do not add anything to the all-sufficient and perfect saving work of God.

The Word ExplainedAs used in the New Testament, the word salvation may indicate all or a part of the divine undertaking.

When the reference is to all of the work of God, the whole transformation is in view from the estatewherein one is lost and condemned to the final appearance of that one in the image of Christ in glory.This larger use of the word, therefore, combines in it many separate works of God for the individual,such as Atonement, Grace, Propitiation, Forgiveness, Justification, Imputation, Regeneration, Adoption,Sanctification, Redemption and Glorification. The two following passages describe the estate fromwhich and the estate into which the individual is saved:

"Wherefore remember, that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are calledUncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; thatat that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, andstrangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world"(Eph. 2:11, 12)

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be calledthe sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved,now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we knowthat, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John3:1-2)

There could be no greater contrast of possible estates for man than those described in thesepassages.

This transformation, one must concede, rather than representing the greatest thing impotent mancan do for God, represents the greatest thing the infinite God can do for man; for there is nothing to beconceived of beyond the estate to which this salvation brings one, namely, "like Christ" and "conformedto the image of his Son."

Much of the whole divine undertaking in salvation is accomplished in the saved one at the moment heexercises saving faith. So, also, some portions of this work are in the form of a process oftransformation after the first work is wholly accomplished. And, again, there is a phase of the divine

undertaking which is revealed as consummating the whole work of God at the moment of itscompletion. This last aspect of salvation is wholly future.

Salvation: Its Past, Present and Future AspectsSalvation, then, in the present dispensation, may be considered in three tenses as it is revealed in the

Scriptures: the past, or that part of the work which already is wholly accomplished in and for the onewho has believed; the present, or that which is now being accomplished in and for the one who hasbelieved; and the future, or that which will be accomplished to complete the work of God in and for theone who has believed.

The following passages are clear statements of these various aspects of the one divine undertaking:

I. The child of God was saved from the guilt and penalty of sin when he believed:"And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" (Luke 7:50)

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said,Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house" (Acts 16:30, 31)

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which aresaved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18)

"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them thatperish" (2 Cor. 2:15)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"(Eph. 2:8)

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, butaccording to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before theworld began" (2 Tim. 1:9)

II. The child of God, constituted such through belief, is being saved from the power and domination ofsin on the same principle of faith:

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17)

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace"(Rom. 6:14)

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but nowmuch more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it isGod which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12, 13)

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin anddeath" (Rom. 8:2)

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal.5:16)

III. The child of God, begotten as such through belief, is yet to be saved from the presence of sin into thepresence of God:

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now isour salvation nearer than when we believed" (Rom. 13:11)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to hisabundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of JesusChrist from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth notaway, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith untosalvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5)

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be calledthe sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Belovednow are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we knowthat, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John3:1-2)

In ConclusionSo, again, there are passages in which these various time aspects in salvation are all combined:

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6)

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, andrighteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30)

"Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify andcleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself aglorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holyand without blemish" (Eph. 5:25-27)

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Chapter 2 – God’s Estimate of the Lost

At no point is faith more tested than in receiving the divine estimate of the present estate and destinyof all who are not saved; yet the record stands on the sacred page and is as much a part of God'srevelation of truth as is the more winsome disclosure concerning the saved and heaven. In vain doesman struggle to deliver himself from the dread and shadow of the former while still attempting toretain the comfort and light of the latter. Even a blinded, unregenerate mind must be convinced of theunreasonableness of selecting only desirable elements out of the unitive whole of divine revelation. Ifman can dispose of the dark picture which describes the estate of the lost, he has, by that process,

surrendered all claim to authority and all ground of assurance in those Scriptures which describe theestate of the saved.

A Clear DistinctionMan is prone to disregard the plain boundary lines of distinction between the saved and the unsaved

as indicated in the Bible. He is naturally occupied with the temporal things that are seen and is bynature blind to the eternal things (1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:3, 4; John 3:3) which are not seen. He is inclinedto conceive of salvation as resulting from a manner of daily life, both moral and religious, rather than astate wrought by the creative power of God. An appeal for a reformed manner of life is to him"practical" and "reasonable," and he sees little value in the Biblical appeal for personal faith in thesaving power and grace of God. A saved person, by his new life from God, may live on a higher plane,and certainly will; but to attempt to live on a higher plane will not, and cannot, impart the new life, orsave a lost soul. The unsaved, according to the Bible, include all who have not been accepted by Godthrough a personal trust in the crucified and risen Savior. All moral and religious people are not,therefore, according to the divine conditions, to be counted among the saved. Paul prayed for Israel"that they might be saved" (Rom. 10:1, 2), and those for whom he prayed, it should be remembered,were the very ones of whom he wrote in this same passage that they had "a zeal for God" and wentabout "to establish their own righteousness." We know, also, that they fasted, and prayed, and gave atithe of all they possessed; yet, in spite of all this, the faithful, inspired Apostle prays that they might besaved. To be saved was evidently, in the Apostle's mind, more than the diligent effort along the lines ofmoral and religious practices.

The Bible sharply distinguishes between the saved and the unsaved, and in its classification, ofnecessity, wholly ignores what may seem reasonable or unreasonable in the sphere of human life. Itbases its distinctions on the eternal necessities and provisions within the larger sphere of the kingdomof God. Here the important issues of conduct and service are not first to be considered. The deeperreality of an entire new nature is rather the primary objective, and no good works can take its place. It isas terrible for a church member, or minister, to be lost as for any one else. Certainly there is nothing inthe fact of church membership, ordinances, or the preaching profession that can take the place of theBiblical requirement for salvation, or mitigate the final doom that is assured to those who reject theSavior.

The five virgins who possessed every outward appearance and profession were, nevertheless, withoutthe oil which is the symbol of the divine life. In spite of all their religious externals they heard it said,

"I know you not." "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into thekingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many willsay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy namehave cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will Iprofess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt.7:21-23)

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on himwhom he hath sent" (John 6:29).

A Positive PerspectiveThe estate of the unsaved is described in the Bible by positive terms:

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoeverbelieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life""He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemnedalready, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Andthis is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness ratherthan light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (John 3:16, 18-20)

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shallnot see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36)

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murdererfrom the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When hespeaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44)

"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to theprince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience"(Eph. 2:2)

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark7:21-23)

In Ephesians 2:1-2 the contrast between the saved and the unsaved is first drawn at the point ofpossessing or not possessing the divine life:

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time pastye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power ofthe air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."

This death is not physical, for the dead ones are said to be "walking according to the course of thisworld," the aspirations of which walk are centered in the things of the world system. They are also saidto be "walking according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit that now worketh in(energizeth) the children of disobedience." This classification, "the children of disobedience," includesall who have not been "made alive" by the power of God. Disobedience here is a state of being and isfederal rather than personal. "By one man's disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners." So, also,"by the obedience of one (Christ) shall many be made righteous." Thus the acceptableness of the savedone is also a state and is federal rather than personal. He being in Christ is a child of obedience; theunsaved one being in Adam is a child of disobedience. In Adam disobedient and lost; in Christ obedient,righteous and acceptable to God (Rom. 5:19; Eph. 1:6). ''He became obedient unto death, even thedeath of the cross." Before the infinite holiness of God no person, saved or unsaved, can rightfullyclaim, within his own merit, to be obedient and righteous in the sight of God; yet the weakest personwho stands in Christ is, by virtue of that position, a child of obedience in the sight of God.

The Energy of EvilIn all the children of disobedience, regardless of professions or conduct, Satan is here said to be the

energizing power. The energy of this mighty being may inspire refinement, education, culture, and theexternals of religion, for it is not against these external virtues that Satan is opposed. His enmity isintelligently directed against the saving grace of God, which is a widely differing issue from that whichthe problems of personal conduct present.

Satan is said to be energizing the unsaved within all the spheres of their present activity. In likemanner, the saved are said to be energized by God: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will andto do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). The testimony of these two passages is to the effect that thereis now no such thing as an independent human life. Men are either energized by God or by Satan, andaccordingly as they are saved or unsaved.

The estate of the unsaved is revealed again in Colossians 1:13:"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into thekingdom of his dear Son." Until this divine transformation is wrought, man must beconsidered as yet in the "powers of darkness."

This revelation is given in other passages:"Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be bornagain, he cannot see the kingdom of God'" (John 3:3)

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishnessunto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14)

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this worldhath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel ofChrist, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4)

"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one" (1 John 5:19, R.V.)

"At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, andstrangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world"(Eph. 2:12)

"Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters,haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable,unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things areworthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Rom.1:29-32)

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: there is none that understandeth,there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are togetherbecome unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open

sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood:destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: thereis no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:10-18)

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication,uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like" (Gal.5:19-21)

"God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imaginationof the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5)

''Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Ps. 51:5)

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer.17:9)

"From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,pride, foolishness" (Mark 7:21, 22)

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6)

"Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law ofGod, neither indeed can it be" (Rom. 8:7, R. V.)

"And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins,... and were by naturethe children of wrath even as others" (Eph. 2:1, 3)

"There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not" (Eccl. 7:20)

"We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6).

The Legacy of the LostAfter this manner the Bible reveals the present estate of the unsaved, and upon the above lines of

distinction which are outside the sphere of this world. Every condition presented in these passagesdemands a superhuman power for its cure. Men are not said to be lost in the eyes of their fellow-men,or as measured by the standards of the institutions of the world. They are lost in the sight of a HolyGod, with Whom they finally have to do, and under the conditions that exist and are effective in a largersphere. In like manner, men are not saved by an adjustment to the estimates and conclusions of thelimited world of fallen humanity, or by what may seem to them to be reasonable or unreasonable.

Salvation is not a human undertaking. It did not originate in this sin-cursed world. It is of God and untoGod, and hence moves along lines and under conditions and necessities which are of a higher realm. Tobe saved one must see himself as God sees him, and adapt himself to the divine principles of anotherworld, which principles have been faithfully revealed in the written Word. A man of faith is one who

thus adapts himself to the revelation of God; one who is instructed by and acts on the unfolding of factsrevealed by God which would otherwise be unknown through human understanding.

It was this divine estimate of humanity, described by the words "lost," "perish," "condemned," "underthe wrath of God," "blind," "in the powers of darkness," "dead in trespasses and sins," which broughtthe Savior from heaven to earth. It was this dark picture that impelled Him to give His life a ransom formany. His saving work was a practical accomplishment. It has provided every needed cure that could bedemanded by the infinite purity and holiness of God.

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Chapter 3 – The Threefold Message of the Cross

The Epistle to the Hebrews opens with a reference to the messages of God which have beenprojected into this world, and which have widened the possible scope of man's understanding andaction from the limitations of the things of this world and the conclusions of finite minds to the issues ofthe entire sphere of God's redemptive purposes and the verities of the Infinite. God has spoken. Theeffect of the message has been far reaching. Men generally believe in certain facts the knowledge ofwhich could come only from the Scriptures of Truth; but men do not always pause to consider all ofGod's message and its personal application to them with its necessary demands upon their faith. Theybelieve in the Bible heaven, but do not carefully consider the only condition the Bible reveals uponwhich any soul can enter therein; they believe in the fact of sin, but seem to care little for the pricelesscure divinely set forth for it; they believe there is a holy God and that men are sinners, but do notestimate what problems were involved in bringing about a possible reconciliation between that holyGod and the meritless sinner: yet how faithfully God has spoken on all these issues!

It is not enough to believe generally that God has spoken. What He has said must be carefullyweighed and personally applied. His message is as a shaft of light from the eternal sphere shining into aworld where sin's darkness and blind-ness are Supreme. Happy indeed is the man who humbly receivesevery word God has spoken both of sin and salvation, and is thus able to look into the realms of gloryalong this radiant shaft of divine revelation. The following are the opening words to the letter to theHebrews:

"God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." The message from God spoken to the fathers by theprophets is contained in the Old Testament. The message spoken to us by His Son and which wasconfirmed unto us by them that heard Him, is contained in the New Testament. This latter message isprimarily of "So great salvation" which in no wise can be neglected with impunity.

God has disclosed His own essential being through His Son. In this revelation which He has madethrough His Son, God is said to be Light, Life and Love, or Wisdom, Power and Love. Christ was anoutshining of these elements which are in the being of God, and that manifestation of His being throughthe Son was made in terms which the finite mind might grasp. Men of Christ's time, from their study ofHim, were able to say: "No man ever spake as this man," and "We know that thou art a teacher comefrom God: for no man can do the miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."

So the wisdom and power of God were recognized in Christ; but the wisdom and power of God hadalready a sufficient revelation in the very things that were created, so that even the heathen world iswithout excuse.

"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed itunto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; sothat they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:19, 20).

At least three messages from God through His Son are revealed in the cross:

LoveIn John 1:18 a special manifestation of God through the Son is mentioned: "No man hath seen God at

any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." "No manhath (fully) seen God at any time" would indicate that while His power and wisdom had been revealedto some extent by the things created, the complete revelation had not been given and there was to be avery special unfolding of His bosom of love. The Son was in the bosom of the Father (the seat of theaffections; from that bosom He never departed). "For God so loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son."

Every moment of the earthly life of Jesus was a manifestation of God's love, but one event in theministry of Jesus is especially designated as the means by which the bosom of God was unveiled."Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16); "In this wasmanifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, thatwe might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Sonto be a propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:9, 10); "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).

In the cross of Christ, therefore, God has declared His love, and this declaration is addressed as apersonal message to every individual. It may be concluded that when this divine message really reachesa heart the individual will thereby become conscious of a fact far beyond the range of humanknowledge and so far reaching in its value that it transcends all other issues in life and death. Itbecomes intensely personal according to the testimony of the apostle: "Who loved me and gave himselffor me." That knowledge-surpassing love is proven and expressed to "me" by the fact that He gaveHimself for "me."

The vital question at once becomes, what did He do for "me"? The Scriptures make it plain that He didenough to demonstrate finally and perfectly the infinite love of God. "Hereby perceive we the love ofGod because he laid down his life for us." This is more than a moral example: it is a distinct servicerendered, and on so vast a scale that it adequately expresses the deepest message from the Father'sbosom. The message must be understood by those to whom it is addressed, but not necessarily by theprocesses of mere human reason. The cross of Christ was the final answer to the great necessities andproblems which sin had imposed on the very heart of God. This is revealed, and is knowable only to theextent to which God has spoken, and never because man has examined and analyzed the heart of theInfinite.

Human philosophy and blind unbelief have woven many veils which have tended to obscure God'splain revelation. The conditions which moved the heart of God exist in the higher realm and have nocomparisons or counterparts in the range of human knowledge, hence human reason cannot bedeemed sufficient to judge or challenge that which God has seen fit to reveal. Anything whichadequately represents the infinite love of God will hardly be compressed into the limitations of man'swisdom. It is most probable that eternity itself will prove to be but a ceaseless unfolding of thatfathomless expression of boundless love. Even now that divine expression of love in the cross becomesthe source of supreme ecstasy to the one who has received the message into his heart. "God forbid thatI should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." In striking contrast to this, the unsaved person,

either Jew or Gentile, finds no attraction whatever, in the same cross. "For the preaching of the cross isto them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

That something of eternal value to lost humanity was accomplished in the cross is clearly revealed.Just how much was accomplished could not be fully revealed. However, some things are made plain.The eternal issue of sin was called into question at Calvary's cross, and a sufficient Substitute stood inthe sinner's place until all grounds of condemnation were forever past and every righteous judgment ofGod was perfectly met. Human wisdom has sometimes challenged this revelation on the supposedgrounds that it would be immoral for God to lay on an innocent victim the condemnation that belongsto another. This might be true if it could be discovered that fie innocent One was an unwilling victim;but on this point every doubt is forever dispelled. In Hebrews 10:1-14, where the sin-offerings of theOld Testament are held in contrast to the one offering of Christ, the Lord is recorded as saying, "Thensaid I, Lo, I am come to do thy will, O God." So at the time of His crucifixion, He said to His Father"Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

But there is a still deeper truth to be considered when the challenge is made that the substitutionarydeath of Christ is an "immoral thing." "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." Shall notthe infinite God be morally free to bear on His own breast the doom of the one His infinite love wouldsave? Would not a mother be morally justified who had flung herself between her child and the fire!Would the child be justified in later years, when gazing on those frightful scars, to deem that love-act asan immoral thing? What Christ bore we are saved from bearing. His work was effective. "He died forme": not to show me how to die. He died that I might not die!

God's love, in expressing itself to human hearts, provided a substitute for them in their sin judgmentsthe issues of which reach out into infinity. This, we are told, is what divine love did. Who can measurethe blasphemy of those who speak of this love-expression as an "immoral thing"? So fallen is the heartof unregenerate man that he will even attempt to incriminate by a charge of immorality the very GodWho seeks to save him from his doom.

The cross of Christ, though unveiling the heart of God in a moment of time, was, nevertheless, theexpression of that which is eternal in that heart. Christ was "a Lamb slain from the foundation of theworld." What God did for sinners, therefore, is an expression of His constant attitude toward them. Thecross is an assurance of the undiminished love of God at this very hour.

Only in the cross has God perfectly revealed His love to sinful man: not in nature, nor in the things andrelationships of this life; for these may fail. And when they fail the stricken heart that has trusted theseoutward benefits alone as the evidence of God's love is heard to say, "it cannot be true that God lovesme." God's perfect and final revelation of His love is in and through the cross, and the heart to whomthis message has come is possessed with all the consolations of grace in the midst of the trials andafflictions of life. Such a one can say, "though He slay me yet will I trust Him." In these last days God isspeaking through His Son of His personal love for each individual. Reader, has God said anything to youthrough His Son? Can you say in the joy of that greatest of all messages, "God forbid that I should glory,save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"? If the cross has not become this to you, is it not evidence toyou that you are neglecting this great salvation in spite of all professions and good intentions, and fromthe unhappy end of such failure there can be no escape?

SinWhile Christians are grateful to Christ for what He did in His death for them on the cross, should they

not be grateful also in some degree to the Roman soldiers who put Christ to death? This question hasbeen raised by unbelief and may well be answered by first discovering just what part the soldiers took inthat great event as it is viewed in the Bible. In John 10:17, 18 we read that Jesus said: "Therefore dothmy Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, butI lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." He evidently

made no resistance at the moment of His crucifixion, which was doubtless in great contrast to theviolent struggles of the two thieves and wholly opposed to the highest ideal of that time whenself-preservation and self-advancement were the first consideration of all men. Whatever else tookplace, no man took His life from Him. So, also, the last words recorded as falling from His lips on thecross were of victory and authority. "Father, into thy hands I commend (deposit) my spirit." Thislanguage distinctly indicates that His death was in no way a defeat through human force.

Not one reference in the Bible, outside the mere historical statement of the crucifixion, ever assignshis death to human sources. It is rather indicated that God the Father was acting in that death.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and theLord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6)

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood" (Rom. 3:25)

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made therighteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5:21)

The soldiers might take a human life; but God alone could accomplish a reconciliation through Christ'sdeath and thereby solve the great problems created by human sin. Christians are saved by the divinereconciliation alone, and no gratitude is due the human factors in the death of Christ.

The deed of the soldiers is not without meaning, however. From the first sin of man to the presenthour every unregenerate person is said to be at enmity toward God. That enmity is usually covered andlatent, but as assuredly exists as the Word of God is true. It was the will of God that at the exact timeand place when and where His infinite love was being unveiled there should be an unveiling, as well, ofthe desperate wickedness of man. Every human act in the crucifixion was a revelation of the fallencreature; yet to crown it all, one man, as though representing a fallen race, took a spear and drove itinto the heart of God. The deep significance here lies in the inexplicable fact that "God was in Christ"and that this human act was in reality against the person of God, as well as a rejection of the humanpresence of Christ and the blessings of grace He presented. So all those who tarry in unbelief arewarned that in so doing they "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an openshame."

Thus no man can be ignorant of the true nature of his own sinful heart who has honestly faced themeaning of the sin of rejecting Christ as enacted in the crucifixion. On this point God has spokenthrough His Son. Oh, the sin of even hesitating to receive the marvels of God's grace as offered to lostmen in the cross of Christ!

RighteousnessThe cross of Christ is also a message from God in that it is said to be a declaration of the righteousness

of God. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare hisrighteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say,at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus"(Rom. 3:25, 26). The English word "declare," as used in this passage, is also used in the passage in John1:18 already considered, wherein the bosom of God is said to have been "declared." The Greek wordsfrom which these two translations are made are not the same. In the passage in John the word presentsthe idea of announcement (cf. Luke 24:35; Acts 10:8; 15:12, 14; 21:19), while in the passage in Romansthe word indicates the legal aspect of a full proof of something in question (cf. 2 Cor. 8:24, "Proof"; Phil.1:28, "Evident token").

In verse 25 of the passage under consideration the evident proof of the righteousness of God wasmade in the cross concerning the sins committed before the death of Christ. God had alwaysanticipated a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for sin. The blood of bulls and goats had never taken awaysin, but had been the divinely appointed symbol of the blood that was to be shed. In view of thesacrifice that was to be, God had passed over, or pretermitted, the sins aforetime on the condition thatthe offender present the symbolic innocent sacrifice for his sins. Although the offender may havecomprehended but little of all the divine meaning and purpose, the sacrifice stood as a covenant withJehovah that He would, in the fulness of time, meet all the need of the sinner. When the true andsufficient sacrifice was accomplished, that sacrifice stood as a full proof that God had been righteous inall the generations wherein He had freely acted in view of that great event which was yet to come.

In verse 26 the declaration, or full proof, of the righteousness of God is made in the cross in relationto the sins committed since the cross and in this time when the human responsibility for adjustmentand cure for sin is not the providing of a symbolic sacrifice, as in the Old Testament, but is ratherconditioned on a personal trust in the sufficient sacrifice fully accomplished on the cross. Suchjustification, according to this verse, is for "him which believeth in Jesus."

This verse also states what we may believe to be the deepest divine problem. How can the righteousGod deal righteously with the sinner and at the same time satisfy His own compassion and love insaving him from the doom which His own righteousness must ever impose on one who commits sin?Though He loves the sinner, there are unalterable conditions to be met in upholding His justice andpersonal character. Sin cannot be treated otherwise than sin, else all standards of holiness and justicefail.

This is not a remote and exceptional problem; but it is one as far reaching and important as the veryfact of the existence and destiny of the human family itself. It must also be considered as claiming theutmost attention of all intelligences of the universe. Can sin be righteously treated as sin and still a waybe provided for the salvation of the sinner?

Any theory which tends to lessen the imperative for judgment which was created by sin, does notfully weigh the fact of the unalterable character of the righteousness of God. Is He not all-powerful andall-sufficient and can He not waive aside the sin of those creatures His hands have made? Is He boundby any law whatsoever? The answer is not of human origin, any more than is the question, though thehuman mind may comprehend it. Even God cannot change the character of righteousness by altering orlessening to the slightest degree its holy demands. What is done for the satisfaction of His love in savingany whom His righteousness condemns must be done in full view of all that His righteousness couldever require. The cross is said to be the message of God through His Son in answer to this divineproblem. He might not change the demands of righteousness, but He has sufficient power and resourceto meet perfectly those demands for every sin-doomed soul. The dying Christ was "set forth" in orderthat God might be just and at the same time satisfy His heart of love in being the justifier of him whichbelieveth in Jesus.

As the righteous Judge, He pronounced the full divine sentence against sin. As the Savior of sinners,He stepped down from His judgment throne and took into His breast the very doom He had inrighteousness imposed. The cross declares the righteousness of God, and because of that cross Hisrighteousness cannot suffer or ever be called in question, even when He wholly pardons the chief ofsinners and floods him with the riches of grace. All that righteousness can demand has by the veryJudge been supplied: for it was God Who was "in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." Theproblem was within the very nature of God Himself. How can He remain just and still justify the sinnerwhom He loved with an everlasting love? He was the mediator between His own righteous Being andthe meritless, helpless sinner. The redemption price has been paid by the very Judge Himself.

This is revealed to finite man as being now accomplished by the infinite God. God has not thus actedbecause man requested Him to do so. It was His own solution of His own problem determined by Him

before any man came into being. It was made actual in the cross in "the fulness of time." Man is onlyasked to believe and act on the facts thus revealed. Redemption by the cross was not God's second bestas contrasted with the innocency of Adam in the garden. It was in the divine councils from thefoundation of the world and its accomplishment is unto a heavenly state above angels and archangels,yea, into the very image of Christ. This is the good news of the Gospel. Sin's judgments are alreadyperfectly met. "He loved me and gave Himself for me."

While the cross is to the unsaved Jew "a stumbling block" and to the unsaved Gentile "foolishness," itis to those that are saved "the power of God and the wisdom of God." These extremes in theconclusions concerning the cross by equally intelligent people can be accounted for on no other groundthan that some, by the Spirit, have apprehended and accepted the declaration of God's love andrighteousness which He has made in the cross. They have seen that the very power of God in savinggrace has been set free, and that God's own wisdom has been disclosed in solving His own problem ofsaving sinners by that cross. The new song of such a heart is, "God forbid that I should glory, save in thecross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

All praise be unto Him! Christ was God's Lamb "that taketh away the sin of the world." "He became acurse for us." "He bore our sins in his body on the tree." "He was made sin for us." "Jehovah hathcaused to rest on him the iniquity of us all." "He is the propitiation for our sins." "He tasted death forevery man."

It is, therefore, now possible for the righteous God to deal graciously with a sinner because thatsinner, through the substitutionary death of Christ, is, in the estimation of God, placed beyond his ownexecution, and the ground of condemnation is forever past. God has, for His own sake, removed everymoral hindrance which His infinite holiness might see in sinful man, and so it is now possible for Him toexercise the last impulse of His love without reservation or limitation.

When thus unshackled and untrammeled in His love, He, through His own lavishings of love and grace,places the sinner in the eternal glory finally perfected into the very image of His Son. There is nothing inthe highest heaven beyond that. It is the greatest possible thing that God can do. It is the infinitedemonstration of His grace. God's grace in action is more than love. It is love operating in fullrecognition and adjustment to every demand of righteousness. "Even so might grace reign throughrighteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

The conclusion from these revelations is that by the cross God has declared our sin, His ownrighteousness and His own unmeasured love. He has spoken to us through His Son. The reasonablerequirement is that we believe that message. This is the only condition given in the Bible upon whichone may enter into God's saving grace.

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Chapter 4 – The Present Values of the Cross to the Unsaved

Every thoughtful person is compelled to assign some reason for the death of Christ. The problemconsists in the fact that the sinless, harmless Man Who most evidently was able to defend Himselfagainst all human strength, and being very God could have dismissed the universe from His presence byone word nevertheless allowed Himself to be crucified in seeming weakness, and afterward appeared inresurrection life and power. Since both the death of Christ and His resurrection are fully establishedfacts of history, the question demands solution. Why did He suffer Himself thus to be put to death? It iscertain He did not need to die either because of His own sinfulness or weakness. This problem does not

remain a mere abstract riddle. The death of Christ is explained in the Scriptures and the personalacceptance or rejection of that divine explanation is declared to be the point which determines thedestiny of each individual. Men are said to stand, or fall, not by their moral, or religious standards, butby their personal choice in relation to the death and saving grace of Christ. The question is as important,therefore, as the destiny of man.

The Scriptures know but one solution to the problem of the death of Christ—one, and only one,whether it be in type in the Old Testament, or in the exact unfoldings of the history and doctrine of theNew Testament. The Bible lends no sanction to differing human theories on this point. Suchspeculations are but shadows of the divine revelation and their promulgation is, like any counterfeit, amisleading substitute for the real Gospel of saving grace.

Almost every passage related to the cross could be called into evidence in determining the divinereason for the sacrifice on the part of the Son of God. In these divine records two great truths areevident: He died as a substitute for someone else, and that someone else is each and every individual inall the lost world of mankind.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: thechastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we likesheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laidon him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:5, 6)

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoeverbelieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)

"Because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead" (2 Cor. 5:14)

"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1Tim. 2:1)

"That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Heb. 2:9)

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of thewhole world" (1 John 2:2).

In the clearest terms this death is here said to be a substitution. He did not die to show men how todie gracefully, or bravely: He died that they might not die. What He did, therefore, does not need to bedone again. It is something accomplished for every person and in such perfection as to be fully satisfyingto the infinite God. In like manner these passages are characterized by such universal words as "all,""every man" and "the whole world." From this it must be believed that the death of Christ has alreadyprovided a great potential and provisional value for every guilty sinner, which is now awaiting hispersonal recognition.

Preceding the dismissal of His spirit as He hung upon the cross Jesus said, "It is finished." This couldhardly have referred to the fact that His own life or sufferings were at an end. It was rather the divineannouncement of the fact that a complete transaction regarding the judgment of sin and the sufficientgrounds of salvation for every sinner was accomplished. It is important to consider what, according tothe Scriptures, was then finished.

To know the meaning of three Bible words which relate the cross of Christ to the sinner will throwsome light upon the character and extent of the work that is said to be "finished" for the whole unsavedworld.

ReconciliationFirst—Reconciliation: This word, or the doctrine it represents, does not directly appear in the Old

Testament. There the thought is always of an immediate and personal atonement by shedding of blood.In the New Testament its meaning is that of a complete and thorough change accomplished by theactual removal of the cause of enmity, so making reconciliation. The most illuminating passage on thistruth is found in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 R. V.:

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all,therefore all died; and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live untothemselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again. Wherefore wehenceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after theflesh, yet now we know him so no more. Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a newcreature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. But all things areof God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry ofreconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, notreckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word ofreconciliation. We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God wereentreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. Him whoknew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness ofGod in him."

The subsequent truth in this passage grows out of the introductory statement of verse 14, wherein itis said that the death of Christ was for all, and, therefore, in a legal sense, all have died in that death.The logic is irresistible. If it be admitted that He died for all (and the Scriptures know no limitation in theuniversal provision in that death), then the value of that death has been secured and provided for all,and since this is an undertaking which began in the councils of God and was ordained to meet therighteous requirements of His own Being, these values have been secured on a plane which answers thehighest demands of the Infinite.

That Jesus died for an individual constitutes the greatest thing that can be said of that person, and, toa truly spiritual understanding, the minor classifications of the human family cease before theoverwhelming revelation: "Henceforth know we no man after the flesh." He is only to be known as onefor whom Jesus died. In like manner, on the ground of the perfect divine provision and accomplishmentin the cross it is added: "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature (creation): old things have passedaway; behold, all things are become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us (or thoroughlychanged us in relation) to himself through Christ." The Apostle then adds, "God was in Christ reconcilingthe world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses." The world is thus thoroughlychanged in its relation to God by the death of His Son. God Himself is not said to be changed: He hasthoroughly changed the world in its relation to Himself by the death of Christ. God Himself hasundertaken the needed mediation between His own righteous Person and the sinful world. Theprovision of a Mediator and the grounds of mediation for the whole world does not save the world, butit does render the salvation of the individual possible in the righteousness of God.

Those who are thus saved have received a ministry from God. "We are ambassadors, therefore, onbehalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be yereconciled to God."

From this Scripture we may conclude that there is a twofold aspect of reconciliation: first, that whichGod has already wrought in Christ by which He has thoroughly changed the relation of the whole worldto Himself so that He does not reckon their trespasses unto them, and, second, a reconciliation forwhich we may plead and which must take place in the attitude of the unsaved individual through therevelation given to him in the Gospel concerning the sacrifice of Christ. Salvation is made to dependupon such a personal response to this appeal from God. Blessed indeed is the one who can say, "thelove and grace of God, in removing forever my judgments and doom by the sacrifice of His Son, arewholly satisfying to me and I rest only in the Savior thus given." The fact of the universal divinereconciliation may remain unappreciated and unconsidered, but when its eternal riches dawn on asin-blinded soul that one, in his attitude and experience, is thoroughly changed toward God and finds awholly new joy and peace through believing what God has already done in His boundless grace.

RedemptionSecond—Redemption: Divine redemption, whether in the Old or the New Testament, is to deliver by

paying the demands of the offended righteousness of God against sin. The price of such redemption isalways blood alone.

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Ex. 12:13)

"It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Lev. 17:11)

"This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins"(Matt. 26:28)

"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things... but with the precious blood of Christ"(1 Peter 1:18)

"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7)

"Thou wast slain, and hath redeemed us to God by thy blood" (Rev. 5:9)

The full redemption by blood has been paid in the death of Christ and so in a provisional way hasaffected the estate of the whole world.

"Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (1 Tim. 2:6)

"Even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his lifea ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28)

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

Redemption is also by power. This was seen in the redemption of Israel from Egypt and is equally trueof all redemption. The price may be paid for the slave, but he must be taken out of the slave positionand set free. This is individual and such redemption by blood and power is the blessed experience of allwho put their trust in the divine Redeemer.

Forgiveness, which in the Scriptures is individual, is made possible through the blood of redemption."The priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him"

(Lev. 4:35)

"This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt.26:28)

"Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22)

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph. 1:7)

Redemption, then, may also be considered in these two aspects: that which has been alreadyaccomplished through the blood of the cross, and that which may yet be done for the one who believes,through the immediate power of God. The ransom price has been paid for all; yet for the one whobelieves there is a further work of redemption which is manifested in the transforming and sanctifyingpower of the Spirit.

Happy is the individual who believes what God has written, and rests in the redeeming work of Christas his only deliverance from the hopeless estate of the lost.

PropitiationThird—Propitiation: The meaning of this word is inexpressibly sweet. It refers to a divinely provided

place of meeting, a place of propitiation. The mercy-seat of the Old Testament is spoken of (Heb. 9:5) asa place of propitiation. There, covering the broken law, was the blood-sprinkled mercy-seat, and therewas the Shekinah light which spoke of the presence of God. There, too, because of the blood and whatit typified, a holy God could meet a sinful man without judgments and, in turn, a sinful man could meeta holy God without dread or fear. So we find in Romans 3:25, 26, that Christ was "set forth" by HisFather God to be a propitiation through faith in His blood. So, (1 John 2:2) also, "And he is thepropitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." The veryblood-sprinkled body of the Son of God on the cross has become the divinely provided place of meetingwhere now a guilty sinner can come to God without fear, and the righteous God can receive that soulapart from all judgments and condemnation.

The publican who went up to the temple to pray, according to Luke 18:9-14, would not so much as liftup his eyes to heaven, but smote on his breast, and said: "God be thou propitiated to me the sinner."The significance of the Greek text is not "God be merciful to me a sinner." but is more correctlyexpressed by the R. V. marginal rendering, "God be propitiated to me the sinner." There is a most vitaldistinction here. It is one thing to call on God for an exercise of immediate mercy: it is quite anotherthing to ask to be covered by atoning blood.

How different the issue is before the unsaved now since the atoning blood has been shed! Certainly itis not a matter with them of securing some special leniency from God: it is rather a matter of believingthat every needed grace has been already exercised. On the ground of a divinely provided propitiationthe publican went down to his house justified, which was vastly more than just being forgiven. In likemanner, every soul has been as freely justified who has believed. It is a question of intelligently electingto receive and stand in the saving work of Christ which is simply to receive Jesus Christ as one's personalSavior. The sinner thus acknowledges Christ as the divinely appointed propitiation and there inconfidence rests his case before the righteous throne of God.

From these three Bible words we may conclude that there is a work now fully accomplished in thecross for every unsaved person. Such have been thoroughly changed in their relation to God by Hisgreat act of reconciliation, and He is said to be waiting for them to be thoroughly changed by themessage of the cross in reconciliation toward Him. He has redeemed them by the blood of Christ Whowas "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world," but is now awaiting their act of faithtoward the Christ that He might with the power of the Spirit transform them into the very sons of God.He has propitiated toward "the whole world," but must await the willingness of the individual to stand

only on the fact that the righteous judgments for sin have already been accomplished in the cross ofChrist. That cross was a propitiation toward God; a reconciliation toward man; and a redemption towardsin. And this in relation to every member of the fallen human race. If men go to perdition it will bebecause every possible mercy from God has been resisted.

"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son"—this much is universal and so is true ofall; "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life"—is individual andpersonal. No one is saved by these universal things alone; but because of these universal things any onewho believes may be saved.

To every unsaved person, therefore, the message may be given in the full confidence in its truth thatGod has already completed the grounds of salvation, and they are but to believe on Him through Whomall this grace has been so perfectly wrought.

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Chapter 5 – The One Condition of Salvation

Notwithstanding all that has been divinely accomplished for the unsaved, they are not saved by italone. Salvation is an immediate display of the power of God within the lifetime and experience of theindividual, and is easily distinguished from those potential accomplishments finished nearly twothousand years ago in the cross. As has been stated, salvation is a work of God for man, rather than awork of man for God. No aspect of salvation, according to the Bible, is made to depend, even in theslightest degree, on human merit or works.

Great stress is laid on the value of good works which grow out of a saved life, but they do not precedesalvation or form any part of a basis for it. Thus it is revealed that the first issue between God and anunsaved person in this age is that of receiving Christ, rather than that of improving the manner of life,however urgent such improvement may be. This insistence seems to mere human reason to be anindirect, if not aimless, means of obtaining the moral improvement of men. The need of moralimprovement is most evident, and simply to try to help men to be better would seem to be the directand logical thing to do. However, the divine program strikes deeper and declares a new creation outfrom which good works can flow and apart from which there can be no acceptable works in the sight ofGod. Unsaved men are thus shut up to the one condition upon which God can righteously make them tobe new creatures in Christ Jesus.

With regard to the necessity of a new creation the unregenerate are blind in their minds (2 Cor. 4:3,4). So also a multitude of professing Christians are poorly taught about this need. This results in a wellnigh universal misconception of the demands of the gospel. When dealing with the unsaved, false issuesare often raised and these unscriptural demands appear in many forms. Satan's ministers are said to bethe ministers of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14, 15). They waive aside the Bible emphasis on a new birth,which is by the power of God through faith and which is the only source from which works acceptableto God can be produced, and devote their energy to the improvement, morally and righteously, of theindividual's character. Such workers, in spite of their sincerity and humanitarian motives, are by theSpirit of God said to be "the ministers of Satan."

Blind to the GospelThe fact that the unregenerate are blinded by Satan in regard to the true gospel of grace is the

explanation of the age-long plea of the moralist: "If I do the best I can, God must be satisfied with that,

else He is unreasonable." Granting that anyone has ever done his best, it would still be most imperfectas compared with the infinite holiness of God. God cannot, under any conditions, call that perfect whichis imperfect, and He is far from unreasonable in demanding a perfect righteousness, impossible to man,while He stands ready to provide as a gift all that His holiness requires. This is exactly the offer of theGospel. The Scriptures do not call on men of this age to present their own righteousness to God; but itinvites the unrighteous to receive the very righteousness of God which may be theirs through a vitalunion with Christ. The appeal is not self-improvement in the important matters of daily life, but that"the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" might be received. When this eternalissue is met the more temporal matters of conduct are urged; but only on the grounds of the fact thatdivine salvation has been wrought for sinful man wholly apart from his own works.

The question confronting each individual, therefore, is that of the basis upon which this new creationcan be gained. In such an undertaking man is powerless. All his ability must be forever set aside. It mustbe accomplished for him, and God alone can do it. He alone can form a new creation; He alone can dealwith sin; He alone can bestow a perfect righteousness; He alone can translate from the powers ofdarkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.

If it were only a question of power to transform men the creative power of God has always beensufficient; but there was a greater difficulty caused by the fact of sin. Sin must first be judged, and nofavor or grace can be divinely exercised until every offense of righteousness has been fully met. Godcannot look on sin with the least degree of allowance, and so He can grant His favor only by andthrough the cross wherein, and only wherein, the consequences of sin have been forever met in Hissight. Thus salvation can be accomplished, even by the infinite God, only through Jesus Christ. Hence itis that a simple trust in the Savior opens the way into the infinite power and grace of God. It is "untoevery one that believeth," "For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby wemust be saved."

This one word "believe" represents all a sinner can do and all a sinner must do to be saved. It isbelieving the record God has given of His Son. In this record it is stated that He has entered into all theneeds of our lost condition and is alive from the dead to be a living Savior to all who put their trust inHim. It is quite possible for any intelligent person to know whether he has placed such confidence in theSavior. Saving faith is a matter of personal consciousness. "I know whom I have believed." To havedeposited one's eternal welfare in the hands of another is a decision of the mind so definite that it canhardly be confused with anything else. On this deposit of oneself into His saving grace depends one'seternal destiny. To add, or subtract, anything from this sole condition of salvation is most perilous. TheGospel is thus often misstated in various and subtle ways. The more common of these should bementioned specifically:

Belief Is Not HopeFirst, The unsaved are sometimes urged to pray and hope for an attitude of leniency on the part of

God toward their sins: whereas they should be urged to believe that every aspect of favor andexpression of love has already been wrought out by God Himself. They are not believing God when theybeseech Him to be reconciled to them, when He is revealed as having already accomplished areconciliation. The Gospel does not inspire a hope that God will be gracious: it discloses the good newsthat He has been gracious and challenges every man but to believe it. A criminal pleading for mercybefore a judge is not in the same position as a criminal believing and rejoicing in the assurance of a fullpardon and that he can never be brought again into judgment.

Belief Is Not WorksSecond, It is a most serious error to intrude any form of human works into a situation wherein God

alone can work. People are sometimes led to believe that there is saving value in some public

confession of Christ, or profession of a decision. "With the heart man believeth unto righteouness." Thisis salvation. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This is the voice of the new-born childspeaking to and of its Father. The only condition on which one may be saved is to believe.

Belief Is Not "Trying"Third, It is equally as great an error to give the unsaved the impression that there is saving virtue in

promising to try to "lead a Christian life." No unregenerate mind is prepared to deal with the problemsof true Christian living. These problems anticipate the new dynamic of the imparted divine nature, andcould produce nothing but hopeless discouragement when really contemplated by an unregenerateperson. There is danger, as well, that by forcing the issues of future conduct into the question the mainissue of receiving Christ as Savior may be submerged in some difficulty related to the proposedstandards of living. There is an advantage in a general morality, "Sabbath observance," temperance andattendance on public and private worship; but there is no saving value in any, or all, of them. It is truethat a person who enters into these things might be more apt to hear the saving Gospel of grace thanotherwise; but on the other hand, the sad fact is that these very things are often depended upon by thereligiously inclined to commend themselves to God. In the Bible a clear distinction is found betweenconversion and salvation. The former is there found to indicate no more than the humanly possible actof turning about, while the latter refers to that display of the power of God which is manifested in thewhole transformation of saving grace.

Belief Is Not PrayingFourth, A person is not saved because he prays. Multitudes of people pray who are not saved. Praying

is not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, though the new attitude of belief may be expressed in prayer."Without faith it is impossible to please God." In no Scripture is salvation conditioned on asking orpraying. It is faith in the Savior Who gave His precious blood a ransom for all. The publican, living andpraying before the cross, pleads that God would be propitiated to him a sinner. The issue now can onlybe one of believing that God has been so propitiated.

Belief Is Not "Seeking"Fifth, No person is now required to "seek the Lord." In Isaiah 55:6 it is said to Israel, "Seek ye the Lord

while he may be found," but in the New Testament relationship we are told to believe that the "Son ofman is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Belief Is Not RepentanceSixth, It is an error to require repentance as a preliminary act preceding and separate from believing.

Such insistence is too often based on Scripture which is addressed to the covenant people, Israel. They,like Christians, being covenant people, are privileged to return to God on the grounds of their covenantby repentance. There is much Scripture both in the Old Testament and in the New that calls this onenation to its long-predicted repentance, and it is usually placed before them as a separate unrelated actthat is required. The preaching of John the Baptist, of Jesus and the early message of the disciples, was,"repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"; but it was addressed only to Israel (Matt. 10:5, 6). Thisappeal was continued to that nation even after the day of Pentecost or so long as the Gospel waspreached to Israel alone (Acts 2:38; 3:19. See also 5:31). Paul mentions also a separate act ofrepentance in the experience of Christians (2 Cor. 7:8-11. See also Rev. 2:5).

The conditions are very different, however, in the case of an unsaved Gentile, who is a "stranger tothe covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." and equally different for anyindividual Jew in this age. In presenting the Gospel to these classes there are one hundred and fifteenpassages at least wherein the word "believe" is used alone and apart from every other condition as the

only way of salvation. In addition to this there are upwards of thirty-five passages wherein its synonym"faith" is used.

There are but six passages addressed to unsaved Gentiles wherein repentance appears either alone orin combination with other issues. These are: God "now commandeth all men everywhere to repent"(Acts 17:30); "Repent and turn to God" (Acts 26:20); "Repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18); "Repentanceand faith" (Acts 20:21); "The goodness of God that leadeth to repentance" (Rom. 2:4); "All should cometo repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). That repentance is not saving is evidenced in the case of Judas, whorepented and yet went to perdition. It is worthy of note that there are twenty-five passages wherein"believe," or "faith," is given as the only condition of Gentile salvation to one passage whereinrepentance appears for any reason whatsoever. It would seem evident from this fact that repentance,like all other issues, is almost universally omitted from the great salvation passages, that suchrepentance as is possible to an unsaved person in this dispensation is included in the one act ofbelieving. The statement in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10 may serve as an illustration. Here it is said: "Yeturned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven." Thisrepresents one all-inclusive act. Such is the accuracy of the Bible. Had the record been that they turnedfrom idols to God, the act of turning from idols would have stood alone as a preliminary undertakingand would suggest a separate work of repentance. In Acts 11:21 it is stated that many "believed andturned to God." This is not difficult to understand. The born-again person might thus turn to God afterbelieving; but there is no revelation that God is expecting works suitable for anything from that whichHe has termed to be dead in trespasses and sins.

Believing Is ReceivingTo believe on Christ is to see and believe the all-sufficiency of His saving grace. This most naturally

includes abandoning all other grounds of hope, and the experiencing of such sorrow for sin as wouldlead one to claim such a Savior. It is doubtful if the sinner of "this present evil age" can produce greatersorrow than this, and of what avail would greater sorrow be? No estimate is possible of the wrong thathas been done in demanding the unsaved of this age to experience some particular degree of sorrowfor sin, over which they could have no control, before they could be assured that the way was open forthem to God. Multitudes have been driven into unrealities or into hopeless doubt as they have thusgroped in darkness. The good news of the Gospel does not invite men to any sorrow whatsoever, or toworks of repentance alone: it invites them to find immediate "joy and peace in believing." Repentance,according to the Bible, is a complete change of mind and, as such, is a vital element in saving faith; but itshould not now be required, as a separate act, apart from saving faith.

The Biblical emphasis upon Gentile repentance or any repentance in this age will be more evidentwhen the full meaning of the word "believe" is understood.

Seventh, Moreover, no Scripture requires confession of sin as a condition of salvation in this age. Aregenerate person who has wandered from fellowship may return to his place of blessing by a faithfulconfession of his sin. 1 John 1:9 is addressed only to believers. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful andjust to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The unsaved person must cometo God by faith. "For by grace are ye saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8).

Believing is related in the Bible to two other actions: "Hear and believe" (Acts 15:7; Rom. 10:14);"Believe and be baptized" (Acts 8:13; Mark 16:16 R.V.). In the latter passage it may be noted thatbaptism is not mentioned when the statement is repeated in the negative form. "He that believeth andis baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be condemned." The unsaved person iscondemned for not believing rather than for not being baptized. Thus believing here, as everywhere, isthe only condition of salvation.

The Sin of UnbeliefThe far-reaching importance of believing may also be seen in the fact that men are said to be lost in

this age because they do not believe. "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believethnot is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God"(John 3:18). "He that disbelieveth shall be condemned" (Mark 16:16 R.V.). Likewise when the Spirit issaid to approach the unsaved to convince them of sin, He is not said to make them conscious orashamed of their personal transgressions. One sin only is mentioned: "Of sin, because they believe noton me" (John 16:9). "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loveddarkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). The sin sacrifice of the cross isforever satisfying to God. What God does is based on His own estimate of the finished work of Christ.The facts and conditions of salvation are based on that divine estimate rather than upon the estimate ofmen. That men are not now condemned primarily because of the sins which Christ has borne is finallystated in 2 Corinthians 5:14, 19 R.V.: "We thus judge, that if one died for all, therefore all died"; "Godwas in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses."

The greatest problem for the infinite God was to provide the reconciliation of the cross. The greatestproblem for man is simply to believe the record in its fulness. To reject the Savior is not only to refusethe gracious love of God, but is to elect, so far as one can do, to remain under the full guilt of every sinas though no Savior had been provided, or no sacrifice had been made.

No more terrible sin can be conceived of than the sin of rejecting Christ. It gathers into itself theinfinite crime of despising the divine mercy and grace, and, in intent, assumes the curse of everytransgression before God. Thus men are electing to stand in their own sins before God. It will be seenthat this personal choice becomes a part of the final judgment of those who believe not. Jesus said: "Ifye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). At the judgment of the wicked deadbefore the Great White Throne, those standing there are said to be judged "according to their works."There is additional evidence recorded against them at that judgment seat: their names are not writtenin the Lamb's book of life. This might be taken as evidence that they have rejected the "Lamb of Godthat taketh away the sin of the world."

It should be added that it was the divine program in this age that the Gospel should be preached toevery creature. And thus every person should have heard and either accepted or rejected the messageof Grace. God alone can righteously judge those who have never heard because of the failure of Hismessengers.

The Apostle John in his Gospel uses the word "believe" in its various forms about eighty-six times andit is never related to repentance or human works and merit. This Gospel, which so clearly states thepresent way of life, is said to be written for a definite purpose: "But these are written that ye mightbelieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

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Chapter 6 – The Riches of Grace in Christ Jesus

In considering the Bible doctrine of salvation it is important to distinguish between those things whichhave already been done for all, and those things which are done for the individual at the instant hebelieves. The sum total of that which has been done for both classes constitutes "the riches of grace inChrist Jesus." But the things divinely accomplished at the instant of believing alone form that aspect of

salvation which is already accomplished in and for the one who believes. This is salvation in its pasttense aspect, i.e., salvation from the guilt, penalty and condemnation of sin. This portion of the doctrineof salvation, like the other tense aspects, includes only what God is said to do for man, and nothingwhatsoever that man is said to do for God, or for himself.

There is an important distinction to be made, as well, between the drawing, convincing work of theSpirit for the unsaved when He convinces of sin, righteousness and judgment, and "the things thataccompany salvation." The former is the work of God in bringing the unsaved who are blinded by Satan(2 Cor. 4:3, 4) to an intelligent decision for Christ; the latter is the outworking of that salvation afterthey believe.

So, also, there is a difference to be noted between the work of God in the past tense aspect ofsalvation and the growth and development of the one who is thus saved. He is "to grow in grace and inthe knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." He is to be "changed from glory to glory." These,too, are divine undertakings for the individual, and are in no way a part of that which is wrought of Godthe moment one believes.

Most of the great doctrinal epistles of the New Testament may be divided into a general twofolddivision: namely, first, that which represents the work of God already accomplished for the believer,and, second, that which represents the life and work of the believer for God. The first eight chapters ofRomans contain the whole doctrine of salvation in its past and present tense aspects: the last section,beginning with chapter twelve (chapters nine to eleven being parenthetical in the present purpose ofGod for Israel) is an appeal to the saved one to live as it becomes one thus saved. This section openswith the words, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodiesa living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Such a manner of life isnaturally to be expected from the one who has been divinely changed. It is a "reasonable service." Sothe entire closing section of Romans is an exhortation to that manner of life befitting one who is saved.

The first three chapters of Ephesians present the work of God for the individual in bringing him to hisexalted heavenly position in Christ Jesus. Not one exhortation will be found in this section. The helplesssinner could do nothing to further such an undertaking. The last section, beginning with chapter 4, isaltogether an appeal for a manner of life befitting one raised to such an exalted heavenly position. Thefirst verse, as in the opening words of the hortatory section of Romans, is an epitome of all that follows:"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith yeare called."

The first two chapters of Colossians reveal the glory of the Son of God and the believer's presentposition as identified with Him in resurrection life. This is followed by the two closing chapters, whichare an appeal that may again be briefly condensed into the first two verses of the section: "If ye then berisen with Christ, seek those things which are above."

It is important to note the divine order in presenting these most vital issues. The positions to whichthe believer is instantly lifted by the power and grace of God are always mentioned first and withoutreference to any human merit or promises. Following this is the injunction for a consistent life in view ofthe divine blessing.

It is obvious that no attempt to imitate this manner of life could result in such exalted positions; butthe positions, when wrought of God, create an entirely new demand in life and conduct (in the Word ofGod these demands are never laid upon unregenerate men). Such is always the order in grace. First, theunmerited divine blessing; then the life lived in the fullness of power which that blessing provides.Under the law varying blessings were given at the end according to the merit: under grace full measureof transformation is bestowed at the beginning and there follows an appeal for a consistent daily life. Itis the divine purpose that a Christian's conduct should be inspired by the fact that he is already savedand blessed with all the riches of grace in Christ Jesus, rather than by the hope that an attemptedimitation of the Christian standard of conduct will result in salvation.

In turning to the Scriptures to discover what it has pleased God to reveal of His saving work in theindividual at the instant he believes, it will be found that there are at least thirty-three distinct positionsinto which such a person is instantly brought by the sufficient operation of the infinite God. All of thesetransformations are superhuman, and, taken together, form that part of salvation which is already theportion of everyone who has believed. Of these thirty-three positions at least five important things maybe said:

First, They are not experienced. They are facts of the newly created life out of which most preciousexperiences may grow. For example, justification is never experienced; yet it is a new eternal fact ofdivine life and relationship to God. A true Christian is more than a person who feels or acts on a certainhigh plane: he is one who, because of a whole inward transformation, normally feels and acts in all thelimitless heavenly association with his Lord.

Second, The Christian positions are not progressive. They do not grow, or develop, from a smallbeginning. They are as perfect and complete the instant they are possessed as they ever will be in theages to come. To illustrate, sonship does not grow into fuller sonship, even though a son may begrowing. An old man is no more the son of his earthly father at the day of his death than he was at theday of his birth.

Third, These positions are in no way related to human merit. It was while we were yet sinners thatChrist died for the ungodly. There is a legitimate distinction to be made between good sons and badsons; but both equally possess sonship if they are sons at all. God is said to chasten His own becausethey are sons, but certainly not that they may become sons. Human merit must be excluded. It cannotbe related to these divine transformations of grace; nor could they abide eternally the same ifdepending by the slightest degree on the finite resources. They are made to stand on the unchangingPerson and merit of the eternal Son of God. There are other and sufficient motives for Christian conductthan the effort to create such eternal facts of the divine life. The Christian is "accepted (now andforever) in the beloved."

Fourth, Every position is eternal by its very nature. The imparted life of God is as eternal in itscharacter as its Fountain Head. Hence the Word of His grace: "I give unto them eternal life and theyshall never perish." The consciousness and personal realization of such relationship to God may varywith the daily walk of the believer; but the abiding facts of the new being are never subject to change intime or eternity.

Fifth, These positions are known only through a divine revelation. They defy human imagination, andsince they cannot be experienced their reality can be entered into only by believing the Word of God.These eternal riches of grace are for the lowest sinner who will only believe.

That God may in some measure be glorified, some, if not all, of these positions are here given. "Thehalf has never been told." The reader is humbly invited to remember that these things are now true ofeach one who believes, and if there should be the slightest doubt as to whether he has believed thatquestion can be forever settled even before the following pages are read:

I. In the Eternal Plan of God:

1. Foreknown, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to beconformed to the image of his Son" (Rom. 8:29. See also 1 Peter 1:2).

2. Elect, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God" (1 Thess. 1:4. See also1 Peter 1:2; Rom. 8:33; Col. 3:12; Titus 1:1).

3. Predestinated, "Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who workethall things after the council of his own will" (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:29, 30; Eph. 1:5).

4. Chosen, "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14; 1 Peter 2:4).

5. Called, "Faithful is he that calleth you" (1 Thess. 5:24, etc.).

II. Reconciled:

1. Reconciled by God, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himselfby Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Col. 1:20).

2. Reconciled to God, "Much more being reconciled to God" (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor.5:20).

III. Redeemed:

1. Redeemed by God, "In whom we have redemption through his blood" (Col. 1:14;1 Peter 1:18; Rom. 3:24, etc.).

2. Out of all condemnation, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them whichare in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1; John 5:24; 1 Cor. 11:32; John 3:18).

IV. Related to God Through a Propitiation:

1. "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sinsof the whole world" (1 John 2:2; Rom. 3:25, 26).

V.